1 Chronicles 15

1 And [David] made himself houses in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

David built houses for himself in the city of David. He prepared a place for the ark of God and set up a tent for it.

2 Then said David, None shall carry the ark of God but the Levites; for of them hath the Lord made choice to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

Then David said, “Only the Levites may carry the ark of God, for they had been chosen by Yahweh to carry the ark of Yahweh, and to serve him forever.”

3 And David assembled all Israel to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord unto its place, which he had prepared for it.

Then David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Yahweh to the place he had prepared for it.

4 And David gathered together the children of Aaron, and the Levites.

David gathered together Aaron's descendants and the Levites.

5 Of the sons of Kehath: Uriel the chief, and his brethren one hundred and twenty.

From the descendants of Kohath, there was Uriel the leader and his relatives, 120 men.

6 Of the sons of Merari: 'Assayah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty.

From the descendants of Merari, there was Asaiah the leader and his relatives, 220 men.

7 Of the sons of Gershom: Joel the chief, and his brethren one hundred and thirty.

From the descendants of Gershom, there was Joel the leader and his relatives, 130 men.

8 Of the sons of Elizaphan: Shema'yah the chief, and his brethren two hundred.

From the descendants of Elizaphan, there was Shemaiah the leader and his relatives, 200 men.

9 Of the sons of Hebron: Eliel the chief, and his brethren eighty.

From the descendants of Hebron, there was Eliel the leader and his relatives, eighty men.

10 Of the sons of 'Uzziel: 'Amminadab the chief, and his brethren one hundred and twelve.

From the descendants of Uzziel, there was Amminadab the leader and his relatives, 112 men.

11 And David called for Zadok and Ebyathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, 'Assayah, and Joel, Shema'yah, and Eliel, and 'Amminadab,

David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

12 And he said unto them, Ye are the chiefs of the family divisions of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, ye and your brethren, and bring up the ark of the Lord the God of Israel unto [the place which] I have prepared for it.

He said to them, “You are the leaders of the Levite families. Consecrate yourselves, both you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it.

13 For, because ye [did] it not at the first, the Lord our God made a breach among us; because we had not sought him after the prescribed manner.

You did not carry it the first time. That is why Yahweh our God broke out against us, for we did not seek him or obey his decree.”

14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord the God of Israel.

So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves so they could bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

15 And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord, on their shoulders, by means of barrows placed upon them.

So the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded—following the rules given by the word of Yahweh.

16 And David said to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, to sing aloud, by lifting up the voice for joy.

David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to assign their brothers to be musicians with musical instruments, stringed instruments, harps and cymbals, playing loudly and joyfully lifting up their voices.

17 So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, and of his brethren, Assaph the son of Berechyahu, and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushayahu;

So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel and one of his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah. They also appointed kinsmen from Merari's descendants and Ethan son of Kushaiah.

18 And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zecharyahu, Ben, and Ja'aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jechiel, and 'Unni, Eliab, and Benayahu, and Ma'asseyahu, and Matthithyahu, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneyahu, and 'Obed-edom, and Je'iel, the gatekeepers.

With them were their kinsmen of second rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

19 Namely, the singers, Heman, Assaph, and Ethan, to play aloud with cymbals of copper;

The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to play loud bronze cymbals.

20 And Zechariah, and 'Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jechiel, and 'Unni, and Eliab, and Ma'asseyahu, and Benayahu, with psalteries on 'Alamoth;

Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah played the stringed instruments, set to Alamoth.

21 And Matthithyahu, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneyahu, and 'Obed-edom, and Je-iel, and 'Azazyahu, with harps on the Sheminith to play as leaders.

Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah led the way with harps set to the Sheminith.

22 And Kenanyahu was the chief of the Levites in conducting the singing: he instructed in conducting the singing, because he was skilful.

Kenaniah, leader of the Levites, was the director of the singing because he was a teacher of music.

23 And Berechyah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark.

Berechiah and Elkanah were guards for the ark.

24 And Shebanyahu, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and 'Amassai, and Zecharyahu, and Benayahu, and Eli'ezer, the priests, did blow on the trumpets before the ark of God; and 'Obed-edom and Jechiyah were gatekeepers for the ark.

Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed Edom and Jehiah were guards for the ark.

25 And it was David, with the elders of Israel, and the officers over the thousands, who went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of 'Obed-edom with joy.

So David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of Obed Edom's house with rejoicing.

26 And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

While God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

27 And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and [so were] all the Levites that carried the ark, and the singers, and Kenanyahu the chief in conducting the singing of the singers; but David had also upon him an ephod of linen.

David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were the Levites who carried the ark, the singers, and Kenaniah, the leader of the song with the singers. David was wearing a linen ephod.

28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, playing aloud on psalteries and harps.

So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh with joyful shouting, and with the sound of horns and trumpets, with cymbals, and with stringed instruments and harps.

29 And it happened, as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came as far as the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked through the window, and saw king David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.

But as the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came to the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul, looked out the window. She saw King David dancing and celebrating. Then she despised him in her heart.